Chair for railroad-bars



UNITED STATES PATENT onirica.

HENRY H. GRAHAM, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

CHAIR FOR RAILROAD-BARS.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY I-I. GRAHAM, of Paterson, in the county ofPassaic and State of New Jersey, have invented, made, and applied to usea certain new and useful Improvement in Chairs for Railroad-Bars; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification,wherein- Figure l, is a plan of the chair and ends of the rails, Fig. Q,is a vertical section of the chair at the joint, and Fig. 3, representsthe end of one of the rails.

Similar marks of reference denote the saine parts.

In the construction of chairs for railroad bars various devices such asfish bars, and side supporting chairs have been used, and connected bybolts or rivets; these are difficult of application, and not durableunder the operation of the wheels, and the rails are constantly drawingthe spikes out of the cross ties and becoming loose.

The nature of my said invention consists in a chair adapted to take abearing against the side and bottom of the rails in combination with ahorizontal binder and key spike, by means of which the rail and chairare firmly drawn and clamped together and the whole is secured to thecross tie. The spikes are relieved from the loosening operation of therail, and the ends of the rails are connected and firmly supported insuch a Inanner that the wheels passing do not produce any jar, or therails become themselves battered from being insecure.

In the drawing a, a, represent the ends of two rails abutting againsteach other and resting on the bottom part b, and against the side partc, of the chair; this side part c, is of a shape to conform to the rail,and rises to the level of the top, and occupies the outer side of therail as usual. Each end of the rail is notched as shown in Fig. 3, and ahorizontal binder c, is inserted through the mortise thus formed in themeeting ends and also through a corresponding mortise in the side c, ofthe chair. This binder d, has ribs on its upper edges entering` thenotches (l) in the mortises (Fig. 3) to prevent the rails sliding olfsaid horizontal binder, only sufiicient play being allowed at thispoi'nt for contraction and eX- pansion.

The binder (l, has a flat or fish shaped head on the inner side of thebars a, a, and a mortise through its body in such a position as toreceive the wedge shape spike e, which passes down outside of andagainst the vertical side c, of the chair, and through a mortise in thebase of said chair into the cross tie, and said spike being formedtapering at the part 2, draws the binder d, tightly against the rail andthe rail against the side c, of the chair in such a firm manner that noseparation can take place unless the chair breaks, and any motion in theparts tends to tighten the binder either by forcing the spike fartherinto the wood, or if tending to draw the spike out, the wedge shapespike taking the strain acts to bind the parts together; and any wear orworking of the parts is compensated by driving the spike c, farther intothe cross tie.

f f are spikes holding down the inner edge of the rail and the rail atthis point need not be notched as now usual, because any creeping Vofthe rails is prevented by the binder d.

The spikey e is formed with cross notches 3, 3 on the side next the partc of the chair, and notches 4, 4, on the other corners, so that thespike can not be withdrawn from the wood except by a very greatforce,but said notches being beveled upward drive into the wood with greatease. The notches 3, 3, may be so placed as to take beneath the edges ofthe niortise in the chair.

Having thus described my said invent-ion and the advantages thereof Iwish it to be understood that I do not claim a chair taking the side ofthe rail, and coming np to the top thereof, neither do I claim a crosske)7 or bolts uniting the rail by the use of fish bars or similardevices; but I do not know of any previous instance in which the horizontal binder and vertical key spike have been used to bind the ends ofthe rails into a chair having a vertical side and fitted to receive therail; therefore What I claim as my invention and. desire In Witnesswhereof I have hereunto set i" to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1n v signature, this twenty-irst day of Feb- The horizontal binder d,and vertical Wedge I'uary, 1859. e, constructed substantially as setforth, in HENRY H. GRAHAM. 5 combina-tion with the chair that receivesand sustains the ends of the rails in substantially LEMUEL W. TERRELL,the manner descrlbed and shown. CHAs. H. SMITH.

Witnesses

